Chapter 23

• Alexander’s footsteps echoed through the room, each step deliberate. His sharp eyes remained fixed on Ariel’s fragile form, crumpled on the cold concrete floor.
• She was still unconscious; her soft breaths were weak, and her face streaked with tears and blood.
• As he closed the distance between them, his usual cold demeanor melted. She looked so vulnerable, so painfully delicate in this moment. His chest tightened—a sensation he wasn’t familiar with and certainly hadn’t invited.